UK flight bookings surge with easing of travel restrictions

Benchmarked against pre-pandemic levels, the destinations for which bookings recovered most strongly in January were led by Mexico (+72% up on 2019), followed by the Maldives (+54%), Greece (+22%), Cyprus (+20%) and Barbados (+16%). ForwardKeys also observed that typical seasonality patterns have returned and are evident in the recent recovery, with peaks showing for the half-term break in February (beginning on the 14th) and the Easter holiday period, when looking at flight tickets confirmed in January. The travel data analyst also revealed that the demand to travel abroad during the extended holiday weekend to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, in early June, is already +13% ahead of 2019.

Encouragingly, ForwardKeys also revealed that bookings for Easter and Summer holidays are relatively stronger than they are for half-term. Benchmarked against the end of January 2019, half-term bookings are -33% behind, whereas Easter bookings trail by -29% and Summer by -16%.

As of 31 January, the strongest origin markets (measured by flight tickets issued) were led by Nigeria at 73% of 2019 levels, followed by three markets on 47% of pre-pandemic levels – Ireland, the US and Brazil. Ponti said: “By withdrawing the impediment of testing and the risk of quarantine for fully vaccinated travellers, flight bookings are surging ahead. “What I find particularly interesting is the continued dominance of classic sea and sun destinations. A clear sign that the pandemic is still very much with us is the absence of a revival in city tourism or travel to airports strongly associated with skiing. “However, if we see continental European countries relaxing their travel restrictions in the way the UK has just done, I expect to see a flood of holiday bookings that could exceed pre-pandemic levels, thanks to a release of the huge pent-up demand.”